Tunbridge Quarterly – Town of Tunbridge, Vermont (original) (raw)

The TUNBRIDGE Quarterly is mailed four times a year to everyone that owns property and/or resides in Tunbridge and contains news and information from town and school officials and local volunteer efforts. The brainchild of Tunbridge resident Janet Zug, its first edition was published in July 2005 and has been curated by Janet ever since.

The deadlines for TQ entries are on the 15th of December, March, June and September. Contact Janet at 802-889-9602 or [email protected]

THE CURRENT ISSUE

Published October 1, 2024 – Follow this link to view or download the current issue in PDF format.

Click here to see past issues.

Tunbridge Selectboard
John O’Brien, Clerk
889-3474; [email protected]
Gary Mullen, Chair
889-3323, barn or 889-3242, house; [email protected]
Mike McPhetres, Vice Chair
802-272-6108, cell or 802-728-3390, shop; [email protected]
Mariah Cilley, Administrative Assistant
802-889-5521 or [email protected]

The last quarter of the year reminds us of the seasons: soon foliage season will give way to stick season; hunting season is around the corner; the holiday season begins the day after Halloween; the Road Crew is preparing for the three or four mud seasons that climate change throws our way in the middle of winter; and, for the Selectboard, it’s budget season. With the halfway point of the fiscal year coming up on January 1st, the Selectboard can look at our “actual” expenditures right next to our “estimated” expenditures—the budget the voters passed at Town Meeting back in March. We generally start with a level-funded budget and adjust the line items to reflect policy (like giving a well-deserved raise to our town employees) or economic realities (like when diesel almost doubled in price during COVID). It doesn’t happen often, but there are decreases in line items, too. For example, this year, our municipal electric bill is way down since we installed a solar array at the Town Garage. Soon after the New Year, we will finalize our General and Highway budgets and hand it over to the Auditors. From there it will go to the Town Report and by February find its way to our mailboxes.

Day-to-day, our Road Crew maintains our 80-some miles of roads, grading, ditching, patching, mowing. This year, mowing was a challenge. Our Challenger tractor broke down and it turns out that the nearest shop that could fix it was in Syracuse, New York. We shipped it out. Next, the two mechanics who would have worked on it, quit; so we had to wait for staff shortages to work themselves out. Meanwhile, back in Tunbridge, improvising, the Road Crew bartered with neighboring towns to use their mowers on our roads and, for the remaining roads, we rented a tractor and mower for a one-pass operation.

One oddity that came up at a recent Selectboard meeting: it turns out that the engineering study for fixing the Strafford Road slide #1 (where the Jersey barriers are) needs to include a bat survey. This was a first. Evidently, Tunbridge must investigate the possibility that the eroding embankment is home to bats. If it turns out that the slide is indeed a bat habitat, we are not sure how FEMA and VTRANS would negotiate a compromise with the bat community.

The never-ending — and expensive — Legal Trails saga is back where it began: The Vermont Supreme Court sent the case back to Superior Court, insisting that the issue be decided on its merits. The town of Tunbridge doesn’t own a crystal ball, but we predict this case will make its way back to the Supreme Court in some distant future. If the Superior Court rules that Tunbridge is right—that municipalities have the authority to maintain their rights-of-ways—then plaintiffs Echeverria and Pratt will undoubtedly appeal the judgment. If Echeverria and Pratt prevail—contending that property owners alone have authority over maintenance of legal trails—most likely alarm bells will go off all over the state, and organizations like the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, VAST, and VMBA would likely join an appeal to the higher court because such a ruling would turn upside down 200 years of rights-of-way law.

Let’s end on a happy story: Recently, when Vermont made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most pledges to clean up trash in one day, Tunbridge topped all the towns in the state for participation. Kudos go to our Green-Up Coordinator, Eliza Minnucci, her deputy, Brenda Field, and the 286 Tunbridgians who pledged to untrash our brave little town.

The TUNBRIDGE Quarterly Janet Zug 889-9602 [email protected]

TQ Entries are printed as received and only edited for typos. Please accept my apologies for any mistakes I miss or make! Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or suggestions. The deadline dates for TQ entries are the 15th of December, March, June and September.

Tunbridge Town Clerk
Mariah Cilley, Clerk 889-5521
Bonnie McCrillis, Asst Clerk [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8-2, Friday closed
Call or Email to set up time outside of these hours

Happy Fall Tunbridge! The fair has wrapped up, the leaves are starting to change and there is a chill in the air.

We are in the office Monday- Thursday with no appointment necessary. If you would like to request a time to meet outside of these hours, please call or email the contact information listed above, and I would be more than happy to help.

As we get closer to the winter months, the things that come to mind for me are the following:
Transfer Station Hours: The transfer station will continue being on summer hours on Wednesday which is 4pm-7pm. Once the time change occurs, the transfer station will be open 3pm-6pm on Wednesdays.

General Election: The General Election is Tuesday November 5th. Voting hours will be from 8am-7pm at the Town Hall. The State of Vermont Elections Division will be mailing out absentee ballots to all registered voters. If you do not receive your ballot by the middle of this month, please reach out to me and we can determine the status of the ballot.

As tax season approaches, please reach out to our wonderful treasurer Becky with any tax related questions. She can be reached at [email protected] or 889-3571.

If you would like to schedule a slot on an upcoming Selectboard meeting, please email me at [email protected] and we can get you in.

Enjoy the fall season before the snow comes!

Better Bones
Kay Jorgensen – 889-5528, [email protected]

Better Bones balance and weight-bearing exercise program is offered at the Town Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. It is aimed at increasing bone density at an age when bone mass is lost and osteoporosis is a concern. Anyone can drop in for a session. A doctor’s permission is requested for those who continue with the program.

First Branch Ambulance
Barbara LaFrancis 889-3378. Judy Tucker – 889-3305

An important part of assisting you when you have an emergency is having your home clearly marked with your house number. If you do not yet have a 911 red house marker, you may, for a charitable donation of $20.00 0ɓtain one by contacting Judy Tucker at 802-889-3305 or [email protected].

FBA is fortunate to have a dedicated staff.

We continue to look for interested people to join them and serve the community. If you are interested, please contact the station for information at 802-685-3112.

Another successful Fair is in the books. Thank you to the people who volunteered time in FBA’s booth and to everyone who stopped by to buy tickets in support of FBA.

We enjoy seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Your support is greatly appreciated.

As the seasons change, we come into cooler weather, and the holidays, FBA hopes you enjoy them with family and friends while staying Happy, Safe and Healthy.

Ed Larkin Contra Dancers
Clyde Jenne – [email protected]

The Ed Larkin Contra Dancers host Contra Dancing at the Tunbridge Town Hall on second Fridays of the month. Dances start at 7pm, weather permitting.

All dances taught. Refreshments at intermission. $8 donation at the door. Bring the family. Children under the age of 12 admitted free.

Tunbridge Board of Listers
Dan ‘rudi’ Ruddell, Darlene Miller, Deb Mullen 802-889-3571
([email protected]) Office hrs: Tu, Fr 9am-3pm

Greetings from the Lister Office. We hope everyone enjoyed the gorgeous stretch of golden days that accompanied the Fair this year.

As noted in the March 2024 issue of the Tunbridge Quarterly, our town (and 65% of the other towns in the state) is mandated to do a town-wide reappraisal (last done in Tunbridge in 2010). We are currently developing a Request for Proposals to engage a contractor to help oversee our reappraisal process. With so many towns in the queue, it is likely we will be looking at least a year or two out (or even more) before actually starting on the re-appraisal.

While some towns choose to contract out the entire process, Tunbridge has always done town-wide reappraisals in-house. With a particularly volatile market following the significant impacts of the pandemic, increasing complexity in the lister workload, and the retirement of Helen O’Donnell (Town Clerk or lister for 30 years, thank you Helen!) we are currently planning to seek a qualified Project Supervisor and conduct as much fieldwork as possible utilizing current staff. This will include the need for additional training at an accelerated pace, which we feel is a wise investment for a town still utilizing the traditional ‘elected listers’ model (some towns have chosen to hire an outside appraiser and have the listers play a primary role of reviewing their work).

While we can’t promise a particular response, we welcome your feedback regarding this approach. We have office hours on Tuesday and Friday from 9-3, and email is the best way to reach us; phone messages are generally checked during office hours, and often in between.

We are still checking Homestead Declarations weekly. You can file a late homestead declaration until October 15, 2024, though late fees and penalties will apply. Revised Tax Bills are sent out if late Homestead Declarations are made.

Due to legislative changes in 2023, the Property Tax Adjustment Credit can now be claimed even later: The credit shall be reduced by $150 on any claim filed after October 15 but on or before March 15 of the following year (and cannot be filed later than March 15). When claims are made after October 15, the credit shall be sent directly to the claimant by the Department of Taxes, and The municipality shall not be required to reissue an adjusted homestead property tax bill.

Quarterly rotation visits this year will be in the Southwestern quadrant of town (west of Kelsey Mtn and Tunbridge Mtn Rds, and south of (but not including) Monarch Hill Rd). Look for a postcard if you are a landowner in this area of Town, noting visits there in the coming months. These visits help us stay current with changes; we update exterior pictures of your property and will call you if an inside inspection would be helpful. We would also appreciate a heads-up if there are significant changes to your property (up or down), whether you are in this portion of town or not.

Friends of the Tunbridge World’s Fair
Lori Berger – 889-3242 [email protected]

It’s hard to believe that another fair has come and gone! As always, running the shuttle kept us busy and gave us a chance to chat with fairgoers. If you haven’t driven for the Friends yet, consider it for next year; it’s a great way to help out, meet new people and hear about experiences at fairs long past.

This year the recipient of the Friends’ most recent donation got quite a workout: we helped with expenses for the new restroom across from the grandstand! It’s MUCH bigger and has more options for families and the mobility-impaired. Friends President Deb Mullen and board secretary Lori Berger had the honor of being interviewed on VPR’s Vermont Edition, which gave them the opportunity to talk about the Friends’ mission to continue to improve the Fair experience and to expand educational opportunities. We had an informational display in Heritage Hall (another project partially funded by the Friends!) as well as “Friends Thanking Friends,” a tribute to the many businesses and individuals who have donated time, services and products to our primary fundraiser, the duck race.

The Friends are a 501c3 non-profit and your donations are tax-deductible (and very much appreciated!). We are always looking for new members, and have two openings on our board of directors. If you are interested please contact Deb Mullen at 802 889-9406 for more information.

Wishing all of our Friends, old and new, a happy and healthy autumn!

Tunbridge Library Mariah Lawrence – Library Director
802-889-9404/[email protected]/tunbridgelibrary.org
Tues 10-5, Wed 3-6, Thurs 10-5, Fri 3-6, Sat 9-1
Staff ~ Maureen Moriarty, Theresa FitzGerald, Russell Lewczuk-Jensen

The library calendar is so full these days our staff members have taken on new roles. Theresa FitzGerald, library assistant, is also now the library programs coordinator. You can still email [email protected] to schedule group meetings or other events and Theresa will happily help you find a time that works! Maureen Moriarty is now our Volunteer Coordinator. If you have interest in helping out the library please connect with her also through [email protected]. Finally, Russell Lewczik will be assisting with the incredibly important task of marketing. The library events we provide are nothing if you don’t know about them! We are so grateful for such an involved and dedicated staff here at TPL. We make a very good team.

Looking ahead to the fall and winter you can expect a wide range of activity here for all ages. As always the best way to stay up to date on what is happening is to get on our email list. If you do not receive our emails please connect and we will set you up. Starting in October as part of our Mindfulness Programming Series funded by The American Library Association Libraries Transforming Communities Grant, the library will be offering monthly meetings at 4pm of Yoga (10/6) with Lauren Preistap and Qigong with Catherine Freese (10/20).

Also part of the Libraries Transforming Communities Grant the library will be offering an ADHD 6-part Educational Series as well as a workshop on Artificial Intelligence. Join for a practical and accessible introduction to artificial intelligence designed with neurodivergent individuals in mind. In this workshop, you’ll explore how AI can assist in everyday tasks, learn strategies to avoid common pitfalls, and discover ways to personalize AI to suit your communication style and needs. Look to the website in the near future for dates and times on these amazing events.

The final installment of Write the Moment, a writing workshop for caregivers will take place October 15th from 5-7pm. Caregivers of all types are welcome to attend this workshop, no need to have attended any of the other sessions. Email or call to sign up.

The Tunbridge Underground Book Shop is fully stocked with amazing book selections, greeting cards including fall and halloween themed (for only 1$) and unique gift items! Come on down anytime the library is open and find a treasure in the Underground!

Project Prose is our new project based book club for middle schoolers and beyond. Join us once a month on a half day from school for a book discussion, project and snack! Check the website for dates, book titles and times as well as to sign up!

Non Traditional items are all the rage at TPL. Did you know you can check out a zine kit, typewriter, YOTO audio book player, bikes, helmets, nature backpacks and more? There is so much to do with your library card!

Shelf Love will meet up October 18th for an evening of HORROR as they discuss the novel Bird Box by Josh Malerman.

If you are looking for a way to connect with fellow community members and volunteer at the library come to one of our new Garden Days! Join in for tea, scones and good company. Bring your own tools or come use some of ours. Garden Days is hosted by our beloved trustee Lynne Hadley and will take place from 10-12 pm on September 28th, October 5th, October 12th. Homeschool Days will begin on the first Monday of each month. Join in for a nature based program taught by local naturalists Rudi Ruddel and Cheryl Metcalf amongst others. The fun begins on October 7th from 10am-1pm. Pack a lunch.

The library is so proud to offer many ongoing programs. We are lucky to have a teen-led beginner Guitar series on Saturdays. While this session is full, connect if you are interested and we can get you on a waitlist for future sessions. Each Friday join in for Imagination tabletop games starting at 3:30pm. Saturdays always the library hosts a casual reading time and place: Tea at 10. Each Thursday you can find caregivers and children gathering for Bumblebee Garden at 10:30am.

Have an idea for a program? Connect!

Tunbridge Historical Society
Fern Strong – 860-986-0507

The annual Tunbridge Historical Society meeting was held as a potluck on August 18 at the Grange Hall in North Tunbridge. During the meeting Fern Strong was nominated and voted in as President, Isreal Provoncha as Treasurer and Elaine Howe as Secretary. Maureen Moriarty was later appointed to fill the Vice President position. Following the meal, a plaque was dedicated to Euclid Farnham recognizing his many years of service as President of the THS. The plaque was made by Izzy Provoncha’s Hartford High School students and is displayed at the Baptist Church which also serves as the home for the Tunbridge Historical Society. It was announced that the application for non-profit status as a 501C3 had been submitted and was approved.

There are lots of activities ahead for the Tunbridge Historical Society. The cemetery Ghost Walk, featuring the Monarch Hill Cemetery, will take place at 1:00pm on October 13. No parking is available so please park at the First Branch/Tunbridge Elementary School where a bus will take participants back and forth from the Cemetery. The bus will leave promptly at 12:30pm. There will be a Haunted History Hike at John O’Brien’s farmstead on Moody Road October 25 and 26. More information can be found on a public Facebook page called Tunbridge Haunted Trail. The event will run from 6:00pm to 9:00pm each night and is a fund raiser for the replacement of window panes at the Baptist Church.

The Society also offered a wonderful display at Heritage Hall during the Tunbridge World’s Fair, with a special focus on Korean War veterans. This was a continuation of the Memorial Day presentation. The Heritage Hall also included a wonderful collection of other artifacts ranging from quilts to cars.

The Historical Society is preparing to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s Declaration of Independence. 2026 will mark this Semiquincentennial event (or the Quarter Millennial!). Izzy Provoncha is a member of the Vermont 250th Committee. More information about this exciting milestone will follow.

Please consider joining the Tunbridge Historical Society or making a tax deductible donation to support our work. We look forward to input and participation by all. Please share information, questions and photographs with us on our Facebook page and feel free to contact any officer.

Fern Strong [email protected], Maureen Moriarty [email protected], Israel Provoncha [email protected], Elaine Howe [email protected], Lydia Flanagan [email protected] (Archivist)

Tunbridge Fire Warden
Contact Brenda Field 802 889-5548

The Town of Tunbridge Wants You!

Fire Warden – Apprentice position- Combo position of the State of VT and town of Tunbridge.
Pay- Under $45. per year and free pizza once/year
Lots of quality time with the Tunbridge Vol. Fire Dept required.
Willing to take classes online- Wildland Firefighting and ICS.
PS: those ICS classes are just a bundle of joy!
Phone required plus availability to return calls in a timely fashion, track permits and report to Vermont Forest, Parks and Recreation.
Training provided in house/town. If you stick it out, you may be awarded a Smokey Bear cup that changes colors.

Assistant Emergency Management Director-
Pay- 0
Retirement-0
Exciting quality, collaborative time with the fire dept and town staff during flooding, not so nice school events, big snowstorms, any disaster in town or mutual aid to surrounding towns.
Collaboration and ability to work with other town and state entities is required.
Be willing to drop and go….anytime.
Decent rain gear and umbrella.
Training provided by the State of VT Emergency Management.
Those exciting ICS classes required again!
Most of the training will be in house/town.
NO Smokey Bear cup for this one.
Talk to the Selectboard regarding that one.

Tunbridge Conservation Commission
Eliza Minnucci [email protected]
Betsy Gaiser and Evan Reiss – Co-Chairs, Cheryl Metcalf – Secretary, Eliza Minnucci – Treasurer, Bryan Kalleberg, Mali’o Kodis, Tess Mix

“Purple and gold, the heraldic colors of the king and queen of the meadow, a regal procession in complementary colors.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer – Braiding Sweet Grass. With fields dressed in goldenrod and aster, we welcome fall to our valley. The insects are taking their fill to supply for migration or hibernation, while we, busy as bees ourselves, put up wood, food and find all those darn hoses we left in the tall grass before winter ices them in place.

At last we are able to report that the Green Up Day effort to set a Guinness World Record was successful and that Eliza Minnucci was the one town coordinator asked to speak at the announcement ceremony on Tuesday, September 17th. We signed up the most pledges of any town in the whole state. Way to go Tunbridge!

Your conservation commission hosted a walk in Wicopy Woods, one of our town forests, at the end of August. Our own Cheryl Metcalf shared knowledge of flowers, ferns, and fungi, including the kind that parasitizes fly brains! Keep an eye out for our hosted walks in the future – a lovely way to meet up with neighbors and learn a bit about the world around us. Or head over to Wicopy Woods (Recreation Road) and follow the marked trail yourself. Consider bringing a picnic to enjoy under the pavilion, or on one of the lovely benches.

We have planned a river clean-up event for October 6th. This annual fall tradition has had great luck with sunny days and fascinating river bed discoveries. Look for announcements with details soon.

Winter Evenings hosted by the Conservation Commission will be held on select Friday nights in January, February and March in 2025. We are excited to bring you local and regional celebrities to share their work relating to a variety of conservation and environmental topics. Full line-up to be announced in December.

To get our commission updates and announcements please join our Facebook page or follow our Instagram account if you are into that sort of thing. We’ll continue to post to FrontPorchForum and The Herald as well.

Finally, the invitation you’ve been waiting for. Don’t rake your yard! Don’t cut back your garden! Leave the homes for the overwintering pollinators, and they’ll return next spring to our fields and orchards. If anyone asks why you haven’t cleared the leaves, tell ‘em it’s for the pollinators. This is an excuse you can also try out for a pile of unwashed dishes or unfolded clothes. However, in these applications, do not expect back up from your local Conservation Commission.

The Tunbridge Conservation Commission meets the first Thursdays of the month at 6pm at the Tunbridge Public Library. For further information contact us at [email protected].

The Shindigs
Janet Zug – 802-738-9602 [email protected]

The 17th Shindig season will kick off on Nov. 2nd with The Donna Thunder Band playing their fun blend of old country, new country, rock and blues. On Dec. 7th The Flames will bring their upbeat mix of rockabilly, western swing and original tunes. The cover charge is $15. at the door. No advance reservations needed. Please email shindigsvt.com if you want to be added to the update list.

The Shindigs dance series is held from Nov. – April, always on the first Saturdays of the month except the January gig is on New Years’ Eve. All the funds collected, above the cost to rent the hall and insurance, are paid to the band. The Tunbridge Town Hall offers a large dance floor upstairs and a quieter space for visiting downstairs. All are welcome to bring their own food and beverages. It’s a pack-it-in, pack-it-out event, everyone is encouraged to bring what you need for the evening and then leave no trace. Please do not attend if you’re feeling ill or potentially contagious.

If you like to dance, you’ll love the Shindigs!

Tunbridge Grange # 384
Rosemary Distel 802-272-2235

Mark your calendar! The Tunbridge Grange will be hosting their annual Harvest Supper on Saturday, November 9th to be held at the Tunbridge Town Hall. There will be two settings at 5:00pm and 6:00pm. NO reservations will be required this year.

Featured menu is the traditional ham & corned beef, root vegetables, etc., and of course, an assortment of homemade pies.

Great food at a great price: 15foradultsand15 for adults and 15foradultsand8 for kids under 10. No tips required (unless you want to be extra generous!)

Friday Night Bingo will start up again right after the new year – yay!

Tunbridge Volunteer Fire Department
Jamie Bradford – 802-889-3478 [email protected]

October 06-12, 2024 is Fire Prevention week. Each year during Fire Prevention Week there is a theme, this year’s theme is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” This theme is in response to data, showing that many U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur due to the absence of smoke alarms or non working smoke alarms. The Fire Department is happy to answer any questions you may have around this topic.

Please remember that it is important to check your smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and have your chimneys cleaned and your furnaces serviced this time of year. Mark your calendars to replace your detectors batteries every time you turn the clocks back and then again when you set your clocks ahead. The Fire Department can be reached by email [email protected] to help with any of your fire safety and prevention questions.

The Fire Department hopes that everyone that was able to attend had an enjoyable and safe time at the Tunbridge World’s Fair this year. We appreciate everyone’s continued support with the coin drop. This is the Fire Departments biggest fundraiser and we are grateful that we are able to hold this fundraiser each year. If you were not able to make the coin drop this year but would like to donate, please visit the departments Facebook page. All donations are greatly appreciated.

As always the Fire Department is looking for volunteers, if you are interested in joining the department, helping fundraise, or looking for more information please reach out to Simon Bradford, contact info above.

Tunbridge World’s Fair
Ingrid VanSteamburg – 889-5555 [email protected]

With perfect weather all four days, The Tunbridge World’s Fair had another successful year! The Board of Directors continues to make upgrades on the fairgrounds and this year you might have noticed the new bathroom facility on the Midway, behind the Grandstand. The family bathroom stalls on the south end were a popular addition to the facility and we hope they will continue to be so for years to come. Come check out the final event for the 2024 season – The VT Sheep & Wool Festival on October 5th & 6th.

Winter Storage reservations are coming in fast, and the buildings will be filled with local campers, boats, cars, etc. for the winter ahead. Please call or email the fair soon if you are interested.

We hope you enjoyed the events on the grounds this year, and we are already booking events for 2025.

Tunbridge Community Food Shelf
Open Fridays 4:00 to 6:00
802-693-5878 (please leave a message)

The Tunbridge fair is over for another year, which always seems to mark the changing of the seasons. The Food Shelf is gearing up for the fall and winter also. The back pack program began the week following the Fair, with 11 children and their families participating ( a total of 49 at that time), to receive supplemental food. If you aren’t currently enrolled in the program, contact the school nurse at the Tunbridge School for the application form. All questions are confidential and the only information the food shelf team has is the number of people in the household.

It’s getting to the time of year when the Food Shelf sponsored outdoor pantry will be closing. Despite not having the CSA with fresh produce this summer, the donations of other food items and garden surplus seems to have been pretty constant. We truly appreciate all the donated items and your generosity. Once the outdoor pantry closes in October, food items will move back into the Parish House and patrons are invited to drop by during regular food shelf hours, every Friday afternoon 4-:500. Different volunteers man the food shelf each week and we are extremely grateful to them for their dedication.

The Food Shelf received an extremely large and generous donation of dried, packaged and canned foods from the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints in July. Additionally we received a donation of hamburger from Shepherds Brook Farm. Several community supporters have been donating eggs all summer as well. With our wonderful new donations , we feel better able to serve our community, especially the school families. If you or someone you know needs food support, we encourage you to stop by during food shelf hours.

As always, we accept food items that have not expired and are unopened at the Parish House and can be left off most days after 1:00. ( Thank you Pastor John!). We always are thankful for financial donations. Mary Fisk is our treasurer at PO Box 12, Tunbridge, VT 05077. Please note the new phone number and change in hours.

Tunbridge Neighbors Helping Neighbors
For TNHN services call 889-3437

Due to a large increase in cost, we have transferred our landline phone service to an internet provider. Not to worry, the phone
number above remains the same.

Vermont Community Fund grant money paid for another length of discharge hose for the trash pump Neighbors Helping Neighbors donated to the town. Don’t forget to call us in an emergency if you need to borrow the pump or one of the two portable generators.

Recent help provided by our dedicated volunteers included 20 rides home for a resident undergoing daily radiation treatments at DHMC, installation of wheelchair threshold ramps in a local home, and moving furniture from a home to an assisted living community in WRJ.

TNHN coordinates and provides basic services at no charge to town residents through the efforts of volunteers. We are a non-profit organization whose operating costs (primarily phone service) are supported by the generosity of Tunbridgians who allocate funds at Town Meeting, and by donations, which may be sent to TNHN, P.O. Box 22, Tunbridge, VT 05077.

A few of the services offered by TNHN are:
• Rides (see below)
• Pick up of prescriptions or other goods from stores
• Cooking meals for people who are unable to cook for a short time
• Minor repairs or painting, minor home improvements, changing a lock*
• Changing a flat tire or jump-starting a car
• Simple repairs to household appliances*
• Help lifting or moving large objects
• Delivery of library books or Food Shelf items
• Help with gardening, lawn care or stacking firewood
• Shoveling snow off walkways and steps
• Other reasonable requests
*Please note: the cost of any materials needed falls on the person requesting help.

Anyone needing a service offered by TNHN should call 802-889-3437. To join our list of volunteers, please contact any of the board members listed below or call 802-889-3437. We respect and value your willingness to help your neighbors.

Current Board Members: Michael O’Donnell, President – 802-763-8985; Jory Innes, Vice President – 802-299-9249; Pat Howe, Treasurer – 802-889-5512; Sarah Priestap Porter, Secretary; Helen O’Donnell; Claire Brock

Friends of First Branch Schools Tiffany Bates, Eliza Minnucci, Jen Loftus
[email protected]

The Friends of First Branch Schools is an informal group of community members from Chelsea and Tunbridge. We volunteer and fundraise to support and celebrate the students and staff of our First
Branch schools.

A little volunteerism can go a long way to sustaining a positive and resilient school culture. Please consider joining our efforts at whatever level you can.

We kick-off our fundraising by selling a delicious homemade dinner at the Fieldstone Farm Brooks Hubbard concert on October 13th in Tunbridge. Reach out to Taylor Faccio at Fieldstone for tickets to this great, local event.

We look forward to funding field trips, student projects, classroom supply requests and treating our staff a few times this year. All kinds of help is helpful: lead a fundraiser, volunteer at a school event, donate school supplies, bake a staff appreciation event, or just stay in the loop by getting on our email list by sending a message to [email protected]

Chelsea Area Senior Center
Susan Pirie, 685-2290, [email protected]

In addition to offering Meals on Wheels and Curbside pick-up, the Chelsea Area Senior Center is open for indoor dining on Mondays at 12:00 pm. Please call to make a reservation to eat indoors, for curbside pick up and also Meals on Wheels.

Central Vermont Intelligence Based Policing
Robert S. Childs 802-889-3241

Windsor County Sheriffs Department began patrols in July. With the increased presence of police officers within Tunbridge there has been a significant reduction in reported crime to CVIBP. Since July 1st 2 thefts, a hit and run and a home broken into are the only reported crimes to date. The prior 3 months had 13 reported crimes. We are still hearing complaints of excessive speed within the villages. I have witnessed police presence in both villages and this seems to be helping. Patrol on the back roads appear to be cutting down the often times reckless driving of some. Rt 110 will also see an increase in Windsor County Sheriffs as they now have the contract for the Orange County Court adding an additional 2 and some times 3 officers traveling thru town two or more times a day when court is in session.

If you see something, say something. Post to the Central Vermont Intelligence Based Policing Facebook page to keep your neighbors informed. I you read or hear about a crime and it reminds you that you saw something that day, place or time report it. Your tip may be the information the police need to solve a crime.

Your tips are not emergencies so report them via these non-emergency numbers: Windsor County Sheriff’s Department; 802-457-5211*
Vermont State Police; 802-234-9933*, 844-848-8477 or Text VTIPS to 27463
* Use these numbers for reporting a discovered crime not in progress or
general information.

Tunbridge Town Website
Geoff Hansen, 802-889-3373, or [email protected]

Tunbridge’s town website is a timely resource for information from the Town Clerk, board meetings (including videos of meetings via Zoom), an Events Calendar listing upcoming meetings and community events, and past issues of the Tunbridge Quarterly. Please let us know if there’s something you would like to see listed or have any questions.

The Tunbridge Church
(802) 693-5878, [email protected]

The Tunbridge Church community has returned to Tunbridge Village for Sunday 10 a.m. worship services led by Pastor John McClintock. Summer services were held at the South Tunbridge Methodist Church and North Tunbridge Baptist Church. All are welcome to the church.

A busy fall and Christmas season are planned:
• Oct. 26, Super Senior Luncheon, Town Hall, 12 p.m.
• Oct. 31, Halloween Treat or Trunk family time, details to come
• Nov. 23, delivery of Thanksgiving treats bags for senior and homebound residents
• Dec. 1, First Sunday of Advent, carol singing and church decorating, 10 a.m.
• Dec. 21, Service of Light, 7 p.m.
• Dec. 25, Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols, 7 p.m.

Pastor John leads weekly Discipleship meetings on Thursdays at 1 p.m. for those wishing to delve deeper into what it means to follow Jesus. Contact him for additional information at [email protected]

In the last few months The Tunbridge Church community donated $650 to the Vermont United Church of Christ Flood Relief Fund to help Vermonters who were affected by summer floods. The church hosted a Community Ice Cream Social and Community Yard Sale in July and served or delivered some 70 senior meals in August.

Women Moving Forward holds potluck fellowship meals on the third Thursday of the month at the Parish House at 12 p.m. Women who are alone are welcome. Nancy Howe and Margaret Rogers lead these times for support and discussion.

The Tunbridge Community Food Shelf is open Fridays from 4-5 p.m. in the Parish House. During the summer produce from the Community Garden on the Parish House lawn was available at the outdoor pantry in the creche. Al-Anon and AA meet at the house on Sundays at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively.

Most services are streamed and recorded via Zoom. Go to tunbridgechurch.org for Zoom. To listen by phone, dial (646) 876-9923 – meeting ID: 858 4950 1899, passcode: 526048. Previous services can be found at the Index to Services link. You can also follow the church on Facebook.

To join the church email list, write [email protected] or call 802-693-5878. The church welcomes support of its programs at PO Box 270, Tunbridge VT 05077 or by credit card/ PayPal through the “Donate” button at tunbridgechurch.org.